The Irony of it All
by ParisKat
Summary: Edward said he wasn't always the most dangerous thing in the woods. What happens when one of those dangerous things finds Bella lying in the woods after Edward left her in New Moon? Who comes to her rescue and saves her?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

BPOV

As I lay on the damp forest floor, I couldn't help going over the conversation in my head countless times. "I don't want you to come with me. You're no good for me; I let this go on for too long." I always knew that it didn't make any sense for him to love me, he was Adonis personified, sent down from the heavens to exist among us mere mortals; of course I could never be beautiful enough or special enough for him, it didn't make any sense. This made more sense, it's what I always knew was coming, but if I knew it was coming, why did it hurt so much?

I felt numbness seep through my body and mind, a way to cope with the disappointment I was feeling. Although I knew that I could never be enough for him, I had foolishly hoped that he was true to his word and that he would love me enough to make me beautiful and strong, like him; but I guess that was wishful thinking. And then, as I was about to succumb to the numbness, I heard a strange sniffing sound and thought I saw eyes glowing in the darkness. I couldn't help but to laugh inwardly at the ironic twist of fate that my vampire left me just in time for me to be mauled by a bear, just like Emmett. The only difference, my vampire angel would not swoop in and save me, I would be lost.

As I waited for the bear to attack me, I began to hear snarling and growling from the opposite direction; I felt an ice cold finger stroke my cheek and I was overcome with joy thinking that Edward had returned for me. I opened my eyes, prepared to launch myself into his arms and beg him to never leave me again, only to have the joy be replaced with cold dread. I was staring into a pair of cold red eyes instead of the loving amber eyes I was expecting.

"Hello, Bella," Victoria cooed to me in a voice that reminded me of a little girl instead of the savage beast I knew her to be. "I see that you weren't all that important to him after all, for him to leave you in the woods, alone and unprotected, how very foolish of him. He destroyed my James to protect you, only to abandon you months later? Well it doesn't matter that he left!" she spat at me. "I shall have my vengeance, once I'm done with you, I will track him down and slowly remove his limbs, burning him as I go. But first, you are rather mouthwatering; I think I'll just whet my appetite with you before I hunt your lover down."

I closed my eyes, accepting my fate, as her teeth pierced my flesh, in the exact spot where James had left his mark in Phoenix and, just as I thought my life was over, I felt her suddenly ripped away from me with a menacing hiss. I couldn't understand what was going on, there's no way that a bear could have made a vampire flinch, let alone throw her off of me. I opened my eyes through the pain of the burning in my arm and saw the most unbelievable sight. Jasper, the vampire who had nearly killed me not 48 hours earlier, was crouched over me in a defensive pose and Victoria was cowering as three enormous wolves came out of the woods, surrounding her.

Just when I feared the wolves were about to be slaughtered, they lunged at her in unison and, in the blink of an eye, I heard the sound of metallic tearing as they managed to separate her limbs from her body. I saw her head roll briefly through my line of sight before I felt the flames of a nearby fire and smelled a very sweet incense that could only mean Victoria had been destroyed and was now being burned.

There was so much going on, and I couldn't make sense of any of it. I couldn't believe that Edward was arrogant enough to believe that Victoria would never come back for me, and I couldn't believe that she came back only hours after he left me vulnerable and unprotected in the woods. I couldn't understand what Jasper was doing here; Edward said that he had left with Alice and that the rest of the family was gone. Did this mean that Alice saw my attack and sent Jasper ahead to save me? Did Edward lie to me? Were the rest of the Cullens still here, or were they all back? And why was Jasper leaning over me with concern in his eyes? He's barely spoken to me since Phoenix, and he attacked me just two days ago.

Nothing made any sense to me, and it certainly didn't make sense to me why a tall, bare-chested Indian from down on the reservation was coming out of the woods to speak with Jasper. I thought I recognized him as the one from that day at La Push who said that the Cullens didn't come on Quileute land, the day that I learned what Edward and his family really were. Something tingled in the back of my mind about a story involving the Quileutes descending from wolves, but I pushed the thought back, trying to focus through the burning that was now rapidly spreading from my arm through the rest of my body. I wanted to scream to relieve the pain, but I wanted even more to understand what was happening, so I grit my teeth and tried to listen to the conversation flowing around me.

"What are you doing here, bloodsucker?" the half-nude man asked with venom in his voice. "Get away from her, it's bad enough that your brother abandoned her and left her stranded in the middle of the woods for hours. The entire town is searching for her; you and your kind have done enough! It's time for you to leave."

"Sam!" Jasper barked at him. "Would y'all just get off your damn pedestal for two seconds and take a look at the reality of what's happening in front of your eyes?" I was momentarily shocked by hearing Jasper speak like that, I don't think that I had ever heard any of the Cullens ever swear, except for maybe Emmett.

"I came back to apologize to Bella for a misunderstanding and try to right a wrong only to find you sitting back and not doing a fucking thing to save her from a bloodthirsty vampire, hell bent on revenge, preparin' to drain her dry. So excuse me if you and your damn treaty are not my first concern."

"Jasper," I whispered hoarsely through the pain. I attempted to lift my hand to touch his arm and his attention was immediately on me, the anger leaving his eyes, to be replaced once again with concern. "Please, don't fight…s'not their fault…s'not your fault either…please, no hurting each other."

At that he chuckled softly and took my hand gently, "Oh Bella, you are always worrying about the wrong thing, aren't you, darlin'? Don't worry, I'll get you out of here, I'll get you some place far away from here, some place safe, then I'll call Edward and he can come back, now that he won't have to worry about hurting you."

I immediately started panicking, "Jasper…please…not Edward… didn't want me before…wasn't good enough before…didn't want to change me…don't need him now…please…"

"Shh, darlin'," Jasper rushed to reassure me. "I don't have to take you to Edward, but I do have to get you away from Forks. It won't be safe for you here, I need to get you away from people; we'll go some place no one can find us unless we let them."

"Like hell you're taking her with you, bloodsucker, she's becoming one of you, isn't she?" Sam shouted. "I cannot allow this, the treaty clearly states-"

"That you cannot touch one goddamned hair on one of our heads unless we bite a human. Need I remind you, dog, that while y'all sat on your ass, it was the redheaded bitch burning over there who bit Bella, not me. Now you need to back the fuck down, y'all have no idea who you're dealing with and trust me when I say, you don't want to find out," he spoke all of this with an eerily calm voice that promised pain to anyone who crossed him.

"Now, since all y'all mangy mutts are out of your depth on this one, I will be taking Bella with me, we will be leaving, and you have my word that I will not allow her to hurt a human. Why don't y'all be useful, come up with a cover story for the town." With that, I found myself in Jasper's arms and I could feel the wind against my body as we ran through the woods. I whimpered in pain, finally beginning to succumb to the excruciating pain of the venom that had now spread throughout my body.

"Shh, darlin'," he whispered against my forehead. "I need you to be quiet just a little while longer. I know this is all confusing and I know it hurts, I promise you that I'll explain everything and help you through this. As soon as we're far enough away, you can scream all you want."

I felt a slight wave of calm pass through me, it barely touched the agony I was feeling, but I tried to touch his face as I breathed through the pain, "thank…you…Jasper."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all recognizable plots and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement or plagiarism intended.

Chapter 2

JPOV

Running through the woods with Bella in my arms, I tried to think of how I managed to get myself into this situation, and perhaps more importantly what I was going to do now. All of my years with Maria taught me how to handle a newborn, so I knew what to expect. Although this would be entirely different from that because I actually cared about Bella and didn't want to control her through fear as I always had before. Damn, I need a cigarette, I may be a vampire, but just sitting down for five minutes to calm down and take a smoke break works wonders, even for us. Plus, being immortal with diamond hard skin has advantages, no lung cancer and no yellow teeth.

Anyway, I needed to focus. I wasn't worried about helping Bella adjust to her new life, but where would I take her? We couldn't stay here and she was absolutely panicked at the idea of seeing Edward again, strangely enough, but she was going through enough pain and confusion as it was already. I wouldn't add to it by making her do something that she clearly didn't want to do. Besides, handling the bloodlust and erratic behavior of a newborn would be difficult enough without adding in the tidal wave of guilt that would come with Emoward's presence. I know that I'm an empath and I should be sympathetic and shit, but that kid takes on the world and feels guilt for a million things that he never had any control over, it's a bit ridiculous.

I suppose I could take her to Peter and Charlotte's place in Wyoming, it's been a while since I had an extended visit with them, their brief trip to see us last year notwithstanding. Alice just never much cared for them, I don't know if they reminded her too much of the monster I had to become to survive my first century as a vampire, or maybe it was because, despite her best efforts, Peter just wouldn't give up the cowboy boots and faded jeans that he liked so much. Hell, if she hadn't been able to see every time I even thought about wearing my boots and thrown a hissy fit about proper vampire wardrobe, I would have worn them every day myself. I looked down at myself in my Alice approved wardrobe and shuddered, this preppy schoolboy look was just not me and it had to go, immediately.

Fortunately, I was coming up on the sprawling white mansion that my "family" had so recently vacated so I could pick up a car, and I would be taking 30 seconds to begin reclaiming my own identity and personality while I was at it. Thankfully, since I promised never to wear them outside of the house, Alice "allowed" me to keep one pair of boots and one pair of broken in Levis since they reminded me of what few memories I had of growing up in Texas. I put the low rise, faded boot cut jeans (I spent way too long married to Alice to know that) with my black cowboy boots and a tight black t-shirt and I instantly felt more like myself.

I gently picked Bella up off of the bed, grabbed my keys and headed out to the garage so we could be on our way to Peter and Char. I thought about calling them, but with Pete just knowing shit all the time, I reckon he already knew we were on our way, so what's the point? I got Bella settled into my baby and we took off in my black 2011 Camaro 2SS. While I loved speed as much as the next vampire, I never understood my family's obsession with European cars. Give me a classic American muscle car any day of the week, they're sturdier than those tiny European things, and there's just something about those American muscle cars that the rest of the world would never get.

I looked over at Bella suffering silently in the passenger seat and couldn't help but to feel for the pain she was going through due to her change and the confusion the last 48 hours had wrought upon her. "It's okay darlin', we're leavin' Forks and headin' to Wyoming."

I felt even more confusion coming from her, so I kept talking to explain. "My oldest friend and his wife have a house in Wyoming, they're at Gannett Peak, the highest point in the state. There's lots of huntin' options for ya darlin' and no humans around for miles."

"Jasper," she hissed through her teeth, "where's Alice…everyone else?"

"Ah, they're in Alaska, staying with the Denalis until they decide where to go next. Did you want to go be with them?" I asked her.

"No!" she grunted quickly, "just don't understand…she's your wife, family?"

"Bella, it's ok," I began quietly. "That is a long story for another time, just know that Alice and I are no longer together and there's no place I'd rather be than here with you darlin'. I know it doesn't make any sense to you right now, but I'll explain everythin' when you're feelin' better, I promise. Just try to relax, we've got about 13 hours before we get to where we're goin', so just try to rest. You can scream if you want now, it's late enough and we're far enough away, no one will hear ya, so just let it out if you want."

"Thank you…Jas…for everything," Bella whispered and she started whimpering and moaning in pain. I had expected her to start screaming her throat raw as most people do during the change, I remembered the burning agony of my own change like it was yesterday. I couldn't help but to admire her strength and determination not to show her pain, and I sighed to myself. Only 13 more hours, if I ignored speed limits, and I'd be able to get her in a bed and help her to be as comfortable as possible, then we'd begin to decide what the hell to do next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all recognizable plots and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement or plagiarism intended.

Chapter 3

JPOV

We had passed into Wyoming about an hour ago and had another hour left until we reached Peter's. On straight roads, I could have made it faster, but Bella wasn't quite indestructible yet, so I was only going about 70 through the winding mountain roads. I was impressed that she hadn't succumbed to screaming so far, I don't know how she was doing it. I could literally feel the agony she was in, but I could also sense the determination from her and I could only guess what she was being so damn stubborn about. Knowing her as I do, even just watching her from afar for so long, I think she was bound and determined not to scream so she wouldn't increase the pain I felt at watching her suffer. She knew that Emoward would have been feeling guilty over something happening to her and her being in pain, so she was trying to hide it. Well, that shit just wouldn't do, he may have been my brother for the last 50 years, but I was not Edward Cullen, and as soon as we were in a better place for this discussion, she was going to learn that lesson good.

As we passed through Yellowstone National Park and the Teton National Forest, I thought about all of the hunting opportunities that would be available and almost started salivating at the mere idea. I thought about everything that Bella would have to relearn , all of the things that would be different for her and how much her life had just changed. I could still feel both the pain and determination coming from her, so I figured the least I could do was distract her from it for a while, give her something else to focus on aside from the pain.

"Hey darlin', we're about 40 minutes away now, we're surrounded by woods and forest, so it'll be perfect for your newborn years. I reckon everythin's a jumble for ya right now, but it'll all be better soon and we have the rest of time to get everything straightened out. There's gonna be some great huntin' around here, we'll have a blast helpin' you figure out what ya like best. Of course, nothing's better than human" I felt some mild indignation coming from her at that one, I just chuckled and continued "sorry, darlin', but it's true, you'll understand soon enough. As you know, Emmett likes to get his revenge on every damn bear he can find, he can't seem to get over losing that first fight. And of course Doucheward likes his mountain lions. As for me, maybe it's left over from my days as a human, but I love some good ole bison, give me a massive buffalo any day."

She was projecting small amounts of amusement followed by curiosity toward me, so I just kept on talking to her like she was responding with words instead of emotions. "If you like that nickname for him, I got about a million more that should entertain you," I snickered. "But what is it that's got you so curious sweetheart? My mention of my life as a human?" when her curiosity only increased, I figured I was on the right trail. "I grew up in Texas, darlin', and was turned back in 1863 after evacuating a colony of women and children from Galveston. I'll tell you all about my early years to this life at a later date when you're not in so much pain, but from what I can remember, I had a simple life in Texas. I'm nothin' more than a simple country boy, a real cowboy at heart. I could ride a horse before I could run and used to spend my days riding around the ranch, tryin' to get things done. Of course, when the Confederacy was lookin' for soldiers, I lied about my age and enlisted before I ever should have; but all those years of ridin' horseback and my, shall we say, natural charisma, led to me bein' the youngest Major in the Texas cavalry. Yes ma'am, you heard me right, I was a decorated soldier long before I ever became a vampire; had the uniform with all the decorations to boot. If we hadn't been half decimated by the damn Yanks already, I'd a had myself a burial of honor with all the pomp and circumstance when I went missin'."

I felt a decent amount of amusement, and even a hint of lust coming from her listening to me talk about my past, so I just kept right on talking. Anything to keep her distracted from the pain of the venom coursing through her veins while traversing bumpy mountain roads. I tried to remember stories from my human years, my early years as a vampire were too dark to talk about right now, and the Cullens would just remind her of everything and everyone who had just walked out on her. I told her stories about fishing in the lake on the ranch, racing against my older brother, Isaac, through the pastures, taking care of my little sister, Melanie, when she would scrape her knee, and even a few stories of me and Isaac sneaking some of Pa's moonshine back behind the barn.

It felt strange to be talking about my human life, I hadn't thought about it in well over a century, but it seemed the more I talked about it, the more memories kept popping into my head. I also couldn't help to notice that I seemed to be slipping more and more into my natural Southern drawl that I'd struggled so long to repress. Between the Carlisle wanting to make sure we didn't stand out and Alice wanting me to be more "civilized" than my country roots, I'd spent years making sure my natural accent didn't slip out and give us away. Now, however, it seemed to just come out naturally; maybe it was being away from the strict rules of being a Cullen, maybe it was going to see my old pal, Peter, maybe it was talking about my past, or maybe it was just another step in reclaiming the real Jasper Whitlock and shedding the cloak of Jasper Hale.

Whatever it was, I couldn't fight the grin that spread across my face as we pulled up to the sprawling log "cabin" and I saw Peter and Charlotte standing on the porch waiting for us. Peter had his arms crossed and was trying to look stern, but I knew better; he was happy as a clam to see me away from Alice, who he'd always felt tried to turn me into everything I never wanted to be.

"Well hell on wheels! Char, call them folks at Channel 13 and look what the cat dragged in!" Peter boomed from the porch before I could even get the car in park. I just laughed before gently picking Bella up from the passenger seat and heading toward the house with her in my arms. "And lookey what else we got ourselves, if I ain't mistaken, I'd say we got a new baby vampire in the makin' right there. Well you have been a busy little Major, haven't ya, come inside, we'll make my new baby sister as comfy as she can get, given the present situation."

"Hey Fucker, you're just all kinds a funny," I retorted with a chuckle. "Now get out of my way and do something productive while Char helps me get settled in with Bella, get our bags out of the back and then go pick me up a pack of smokes."

"Well damn, I hoped, but never thought I'd see the day that I'd get to see Major Jasper Whitlock again, it's good to see you bro," Peter sniffled while pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "That Jasper Hale character was a pussy and dressed like a queen, glad to have you back, and if that chickadee in your arms has anything to do with the reappearance of the cowboy boots, then I will be forever indebted to her. I can't wait to see the look on the crazy pixie's face when she sees your "new" look, I'm going to have to capture that on film so I can watch it again and again for the rest of eternity."

I followed Charlotte up the stairs to the guest bedroom, chuckling to myself as I thought about how nice it was to be around my true family once again. These weren't people who wanted to mold me into what they thought I should be, they accepted me as I was and didn't make any excuses about who they were or what they were. This truly was the perfect place for Bella right now, it was isolated so I could help her learn how not to massacre entire towns, she could go buck wild overturning trees, and she could finally figure out who she really was, without Edward and the rest of the Cullens trying to tell her what they thought she should be.

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the great reviews, I hope this lives up to your expectations.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all recognizable plots and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement or plagiarism intended.

Chapter 4

BPOV

I felt like I had been burning for weeks, although, in reality, I knew that it couldn't have been more than a few days. I wasn't sure how long it had been exactly, but I would be eternally grateful that Jasper hadn't left my side since it all began. I was still a little confused why he was here, especially by himself, but I'd already decided that the comfort he brought was more important than my confusion; and besides, he had told me that he would explain everything to me when I was feeling more receptive. One thing about suffering through this agony, your mind latched on to anything it could to distract itself from the pain and I'd had a lot of time to think and reflect about everything that had happened recently.

While I'd been lying on that forest floor, I'd been crushed and heartbroken that Edward had left me, wondering how I would go on knowing about the things that go bump in the night, and also knowing that I'd had a chance at happiness with the seemingly perfectly loving family. That had all changed, however, the more I thought about it and had the time to come to some startling realizations, and now I was pissed off but I was quickly moving towards acceptance and even relief. The more I thought about everything, the more I realized just how fucked up everything had been in my life, particularly in my relationships with Edward and Alice. Carlisle and Esme always acted like loving parents, Esme was a little smothering at times, but all she ever did was love her children and try to support them, ignoring the fact that she agreed to abandon me, but I digress. Emmett treated me like the clumsy little sister that I was and Rosalie never went out of her way to hide her disdain for me, it was nice to know where I stood with them and they never pretended that anything was other than it was.

Edward and Alice, however, were a completely different matter. Alice acted like my wardrobe was a personal affront to her senses, always dressing me up and dragging me shopping, turning me into her own life sized Barbie doll; and it didn't matter how much I protested or how much I dreaded each experience. She claimed to be my best friend and my sister, and yet she constantly disregarded my feelings and did everything she could to shape me into who she thought I should be and to look how she thought I should look as opposed to who I really was and how I wanted to dress myself.

None of that even began to compare to the fuckery that was my relationship with Edward though; he controlled every aspect of my life and made all of my decisions for me, and I never even realized it was happening. He acted superior and worldly just because he was 108 years old and had the ability to read everyone's mind, but he had never had any responsibility in his life. He treated me like a child who was incapable of making her own decisions or even knowing her own feelings simply because he had existed on this planet longer than I had; but he was the one who was eternally stuck at 17. I never had the luxury of acting my own age or being a child because I had to be responsible for my mother for as long as I could remember. Once I was old enough, she had signed the consent form and I'd been working since I was about 14; Edward had never worked a day in his life and he never had to worry about where his next meal was coming from. He never had to look into his mother's checking account and write the checks to make sure that the electricity and water stayed on because she forgot to pay the bills again.

The first time that happened, I was 10 years old and I quickly got used to making sure that everything got paid, because let me tell you, it was no picnic having the air conditioning turned off in Phoenix in July. Fuck, even after I moved to Forks, Renee called me to ask where her favorite blouse was because she couldn't find it. I didn't even live in the damn state anymore, let alone her house, and she was still asking me where her clothes were. Living with Charlie was easier because at least I didn't have to worry about paying bills anymore, but I still was the one in charge of buying all of the groceries, cooking all of the meals, doing all of the dishes and cleaning the house. I was fucking Cinderella in my own home and that was something that Edward never had to worry about, and he had the gall to tell me that I was the child.

Of course, maybe that was what attracted me to him in the first place; I didn't have to be responsible for anyone, even myself anymore because he would take care of everything for me. I was starting to realize, though, that wasn't even remotely resembling a healthy relationship, that shit got old fast. A good relationship should have give and take, both sides taking care of each other equally and respecting one another's opinions and making decisions together. None of that was ever there in my relationship with Doucheward, so with the new direction my life was taking, I was turning over a new leaf; no one was ever going to walk all over me again.

I snickered to myself about the use of Jasper's nickname for Edward, it was highly fitting, and I think that may need to become my new name for him. Ah, Jasper, now there's a confusing and highly ironic subject on about a million different levels. On the night of my birthday, he very nearly killed me after Doucheward shoved me into a table full of glass plates, and yet, he was the one watching over me now. He was the Cullen that I'd had the least interaction with over the past year, mostly because Doucheward insisted, but I felt that I now knew him better than all of the other Cullen's combined just after the last however long it was listening to him tell me stories from his youth.

I was realizing that he was completely different than I'd always assumed he was; when he was with Alice he always seemed so quiet, uptight and restrained, yet now, he was laughing about his childhood and was incredibly sarcastic, much like I was when I first moved from Phoenix, before I let a certain vampire overtake my personality. This was a Jasper that I could definitely get on board with and I couldn't wait until I opened my eyes and got to see Jasper clearly for the first time.

"Well hey darlin', this should be about over," I heard Jasper say in that adorable Southern drawl. "I don't know how you've managed to avoid screamin' throughout this whole ordeal, but I swear to you, if you did it to spare me pain or guilt, we're going to be having a conversation about that because it's just ridiculous. No more of this self-sacrificing martyr bullshit, ya hear? The pain is about to get worse soon, it's going to concentrate right over your heart and it'll hurt like a bitch and I've never heard anyone not scream for that, so there's no point in hidin' it around here, we've all been through it. Anyhow, you've been burnin' for almost 3 days now, so I reckon it shouldn't be too much longer before you open them gorgeous eyes of yours. We're at Peter and Charlotte's in Wyoming and they are chompin' at the bit to properly meet you; I think you'll like them, they don't take shit from anybody, they tell it like it is and they don't beat around the bush. And don't worry, although Char could definitely use some female companionship after all these years with no one but her crazy fucker of a husband, she won't be dressin' ya like a Barbie doll anytime soon," he finished with a laugh.

I started to feel amusement over his analysis of his, I guess former, wife, but then that burn he was talking about started to really kick in. I tried to hold in my screams just because I didn't see the point in screaming; it wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't make me burn any less and it would give everyone around me a migraine, but then I just couldn't hold it in anymore. It felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, like it had grown a fucking propeller and was just going to lift right out of my body at any moment, I screamed for all I was worth and held on to the knowledge that after this, the agony would finally be over. I wasn't sure how long this went on, but just when I thought I couldn't take anymore and was ready to beg Jasper to kill me, I felt my heart make one last shuddering beat, and then suddenly there was silence. There was no longer the sound of my heart beating or of my labored breathing, I could hear Jasper breathing quietly beside me, I could hear someone shuffling around downstairs and I swear, I could hear the dust in the air.

I opened my eyes and was struck by how clear everything was, it was like I'd been looking through foggy glasses my entire life and I was only now properly seeing the world. I turned my head to look at Jasper and the first thing I noticed was how ruggedly handsome and sexy he suddenly seemed to me, this was not the same Jasper that I had grown to know over the past year. That Jasper looked like he'd stepped off of GQ or some fancy runway show, this Jasper looked like a sexier version of the Marlboro man, complete with the cowboy hat and boots. I noticed his scars and momentarily wondered at their origin, but they did not detract from his appeal; on the contrary, they only added to that aura about him that simply screamed "this is no boy, this specimen is all man!"

He was looking at me with this smirk on his face and that's when it hit me, he was an empath and could feel every emotion I was feeling. Shit, he had to know that I had just been lusting over his body, I thought I would die of mortification. And just when I thought it couldn't worse, he had to open his mouth and prove me wrong.

"Well darlin', you see something you like then?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay for this to get out, I had some massive writer's block and no beta to bounce ideas off of. I already have ideas for the next chapter though, so hopefully it won't take as long.

**A/N 2:** Thanks for all of the great reviews, they put a huge smile on my face every time.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all recognizable plots and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement or plagiarism intended.

Chapter 5

JPOV

I was pleased when Bella finally let go during the final stages of her change, that shit hurts and sometimes you just need to scream. While she'd been screaming, I was preparing myself for her to attack me as so many other newborns had in my previous life. It was very disorienting to wake up as a vampire and we just ran on instincts that took a while to learn control; even the most sedate vampire could be viewed as a threat in those first moments. Someone like me, a scarred freak showing just how lethal I could be, forget about it, I would be lucky if I escaped this without a few new scars to add to the mix. Imagine my surprise, then, when I felt not one ounce of aggression coming from her, well, not in the traditional sense at any rate. I felt some mild curiosity coming from her and then she almost knocked me over with the amount of lust that she was throwing my way.

I could feel myself hardening in response to her very obvious attraction to me combined with how stunningly gorgeous she was as a vampire. I was left with two options: 1) I could give in to the lust threatening to take me over at any moment; 2) I could shrug it off with a sarcastic comment and not let her know how much she was testing my restraint. I couldn't help but to smirk over her reaction and she must have noticed because I felt realization followed by embarrassment wash over her with the knowledge that I knew exactly how she was feeling about me in that instant. It's not that I didn't want to throw her against the wall, potentially knocking it down in the process, and test out her newfound strength and stamina, but I figured that now was neither the time nor the place. She'd been awake for all of two minutes and had yet to go hunting, but believe you me, if these feelings continued after hunting, and particularly after telling her my story, we would have to spend a few days in the forest, or we'd be spending the next week rebuilding Peter's house.

"Well darlin', you see something you like then?" I said with a slight chuckle. When I felt her mortification increase at having been caught gaping, I decided to lessen the tension. "Don't worry about it sweetheart, I'm one sexy son of a bitch, I lust after myself too, and let's not start on my lil brother downstairs. It's a good thing Char has him on such a short leash, otherwise I'd be hidin' my balls from that fucker."

"Hey now, fucker, I can't have you spreadin' lies about me to my brand new baby sis over there before she's even met me; let her learn that shit on her own," Peter said with a laugh as he and Char decided that Bella wasn't going to attack them so it was safe to come in. Well, maybe I spoke a bit too soon on that one, as soon as Bella took in Peter's appearance she jumped in front of me with a growl and this almost transparent barrier sprang up around the two of us. I couldn't figure out why she would react that way, until I realized that Pete was wearin' nothing but a worn pair of jeans and all of his scars were clearly on display. I was wondering why she would react that way to Pete when she felt only momentary curiosity and a boat load of lust when she looked at me. Something prickled in the back of my mind, but I'd try to figure it out later, once the situation was less dire.

Peter cautiously raised his hands and lowered his eyes in a show of submission and spoke softly, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Peter Whitlock and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance ma'am. This lovely lady over here is my wife and mate Charlotte, we're glad to have ya, especially if you've got anythin' to do with this asshole's renewed wardrobe and sense of self. I promise I mean ya no harm, and the Major would rip my arms off before I ever got a chance to touch him, anyway," he added with a wink.

I could feel Bella's uncertainty and confusion, but it seemed like Peter's attempts at being charming and unassuming were starting to work, the barrier started to flicker a little, but it wasn't going down completely, so I gave in to my own instincts and did what I thought would calm her down, without using my power on her. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, kissed her neck and whispered right in her ear, "it's alright darlin', I'm ok. He won't hurt me, that's my lil brother I was tellin' ya about. We're both safe with him, he won't hurt us, but thank you for protectin' me, I appreciate it a great deal; that's the first time someone's done that for me. Come on darlin', it's ok, I'm safe, we're both safe."

The barrier finally came down and Bella turned in my arms to look at me, her face full of confusion trying to figure out what just happened and why. I was getting ready attempt explaining things when Peter bust out laughing, literally holding his sides as he bent over at the waist. "Oh lordy, now that shit is funny, things just got mighty interestin' here. I'm not even gonna tell y'all what just happened because it's gonna be funnier than hell watchin' you figure it out."

"Ya know, you're kinda an asshole, Fuckface," I snarled at Peter with a glare, who simply shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright darlin', how 'bout you and me go huntin' before we try and figure out what's goin' on. I reckon you must by getting' thirsty by now, so we'll see if we can't scrounge up a grizzly or somethin' for ya." With that, I turned and leapt out the window, Bella followed me after only a moment's hesitation. We took off running through the forest with no particular destination in mind other than to find something appetizing. We ran for miles, deftly dodging trees until I smelled a mountain lion stalking its prey and stopped swiftly.

"Why are we stopping, Jasper?" Bella asked me with confusion.

"Dinner," I explained. "I want you to take a deep breath, focus and then tell me what you can hear around you."

She did as I asked and began describing all that she heard. "I can hear the wind in the trees, I hear an owl calling for its mate, and, are those heartbeats? Is that what that thumping sound is?" At my brief nod, she started talking again. "OK, so what do I do now? How do I go get it? And what am I about to be eating anyway?"

I couldn't help but to chuckle, she was so adorable and didn't even realize it. "That would be a mountain lion and its prey darlin', it's goin' after a deer. I'll make the sacrifice and take the deer, I'll leave you to the mountain lion, you'll thank me for it later. As for the other part, just give in to your instincts, do what feels natural. If you make a mistake, it's not a big deal, it's slower and weaker than you, it won't be able to hurt ya or really escape from ya either." I waited until she had taken off in the direction of our meal before quickly following her, although keeping some distance so as not to distract her.

When I caught up with Bella, she was crouched and preparing to pounce on the unsuspecting mountain lion. I watched in awe as she leapt through the air, landing gracefully on its back before snapping its neck and sinking her teeth into its jugular. I was so mesmerized by watching the beauty before me that I very nearly let my own dinner escape me; but I grabbed him swiftly before quickly draining him. Deer never did taste the greatest, but it served its purpose to help ease my thirst.

I looked up to see Bella finishing her meal and couldn't believe how turned on I was getting from watching her. I had gone hunting with Alice countless times over the years, but never had I been as affected as I was watching Bella. Maybe it was because I was so used to seeing her as the fragile human that Edward brought around, but watching her take down a mountain lion with ease was fuckin' sexy as hell. Damn, I needed I cigarette now before I threw her into a tree and ravaged her senseless; I pulled the pack of Marlboros out of my pocket, lit one up and took a calming pull on the cigarette. I instantly felt some relief and couldn't believe that I'd let that fuckin' pixie talk me into quittin' for all those years, just because she didn't like the damn smell getting' in her clothes and hair. Fuckin' prissy assed know-it-all.

I was glad that I had started to calm down some; I knew that Bella was a virgin as Doucheward was too much of a pussy to satisfy his woman; I had felt her sexual frustration steadily increase over the past year and there had never once been even the slightest dent in it, meaning that she had zero satisfaction. Plus, on top of everything else, she had been in love with said douche bag up until about 3 days ago, so I wanted to clear the air with her before any ravaging was to be done. She deserved better than a quick fuck in the forest for her firsts time and I really didn't want her regretting anything; now I just had to convince my dick that was the right decision.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all recognizable plots and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement or plagiarism intended.

Chapter 6

BPOV

I looked around after finishing my first "meal" as a vampire and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was, and how much I enjoyed it. A mountain lion may not have been as delectable as a juicy prime rib had been to me as a human, but I could liken it to a nice burger; very good and satisfying, but not the best thing around. I couldn't believe, either, how easy and natural it had been to hunt down a mountain lion; it was like I had been doing it for years and I didn't even tear my clothes to shreds. I was pondering how much Alice would giggle if she knew that I'd spared even a moment's thought to my clothing when I was distracted by the sound of someone breathing nearby.

I looked up to be greeted by the sexiest sight I had ever seen in my 18 years; Jasper Whitlock was leaning casually against a tree in rugged jeans and cowboy boots, smoking a cigarette. I vaguely remembered someone mentioning during my change the demise of Jasper Hale and the apparent reemergence of Jasper Whitlock. I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but I understood what they were talking about. Gone was the preppy boy I'd come to know over the past year, standing in front of me was the finest specimen of man I had ever seen, and he was certainly all man, not one ounce of boyishness in him. And damn did I want him badly. I'd had enough pussyfooting around for the past year, denying what I wanted and being afraid of what I wanted. I was bound and determined to turn over a new leaf with all of my recent realizations and I was going after what I wanted this time.

Before I'd even consciously decided, I found myself stalking toward Jasper until I was standing right before him with my hands on his shoulders. He had a look of surprise on his face and appeared to be warring with himself over something, but I once again gave over to my instincts, pushed him into the tree and began attacking his mouth. He responded immediately, moaning into my mouth and wrapping his arms around me to pull me tighter to him. For the first time in my life, I could feel the effect I had on a man pressing into my abdomen and it fuelled my fire and need for him even more. I had to taste Jasper, so I licked his bottom lip, begging for entry to what I knew would taste like heaven. That's when Jasper broke away from my mouth, gasping.

"Bella, no" he tried to say with heaving breaths. "Not like this, we should talk first."

I growled in response "don't wanna talk. Done talking," and I began my attack with renewed fervor. I moved my lips down to his jaw slowly working my way down his neck before latching on to the spot that's not quite neck and no longer shoulder. I could feel Jasper groan more than I heard him, and I felt his resolve weakening, but he was suddenly pushing me away again and walking away to put some distance between us.

"Darlin', please, there's so much that we need to talk about before this happens. So much has changed in such a short time, I don't want to take advantage of you."

I started growling at him lowly, but he kept talking. "It's not that I don't want you darlin', Lord knows I do. Watchin' you hunt back then was fuckin' the sexiest thing I've ever seen. You deserve better than this for your first time and you are testin' my resolve like you wouldn't believe." He tried to walk away from me, back the way we had come from, but I wasn't having that, I was done having people tell me what I should want or deciding what I deserved. Fuck that, I knew what I wanted and damnit, I was going to get it. I sprang after him and tackled him to the ground. Jasper rolled over with a look of shock and something else on his face, but I wasn't paying attention to that, I grabbed his arms and pinned them to the ground next to his head using every ounce of my newborn strength.

"Who the fuck do you think you are Jasper Whitlock," I growled right in his face. "I have had enough of other people deciding what I should have in life and what I should want, well fuck that. You say we need to talk, well I've already decided that I've had enough of a man-child who's too afraid to even get all the way to first base telling me what I should do. I also have enough brain cells in my head to realize that you and Alice are done, otherwise she would be here and you wouldn't have called her a fucking prissy-assed pixie. I can feel that you want me as much as I want you," and I ground my throbbing core into the rock hard bulge in his jeans to emphasize my point. At his groan, I continued talking "I figure the rest of the details can wait until later. Now, I appreciate what you are trying to do here, being respectful and all, but believe me when I say that your martyrdom is completely unnecessary. So the only question left is when you're going to stop fighting me and yourself and take what we both so clearly want, Cowboy?"

The second I stopped talking, Jasper's mouth was on mine once again with abandon, only this time there was no holding back, he was attacking my mouth with a passion that I didn't know was possible. When I felt his tongue running over my bottom lip I immediately allowed him entrance and, I was right, he tasted like absolute heaven. I moaned into his mouth and loosened my grip on his hands, that was apparently all he needed, because before I could even register what was happening, I found myself on my back, sprawled beneath Jasper, who was black eyed with lust and was now pinning my hands to the ground beside my head with a wicked smirk on his face.

"I don't know what you're used to with Emoward, Darlin', but if you want a man, you've got one. Believe me, when I'm done, you won't be comparing me to the man-child, you'll be screamin' my name in ecstasy."

I had a witty comeback on the tip of my tongue, but when I opened my mouth, all that came out was a loud moan as Jasper ran his tongue from my collar bone, up my neck and to my earlobe. And he proceeded to show me exactly how amazing an experienced and talented man can make a woman's body feel. He was right about more than one thing, I screamed his name in the throes of passion many times over that night.

A/N: Sorry I took so long on the update. The end of summer brought about a brand new full time job and a new semester, so time has been limited. I'll try to update when I can. Thanks for all of the great reviews though, you guys make me want to keep writing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Any recognizable characters or plot elements belong to Stephenie Meyer. Peter "just knowin' shit" belongs to IdreamofEddy.

Chapter 7

JPOV

Having Bella's body under mine, and around mine, was the closest thing to heaven I was ever going to achieve in this everlasting long life I lead. Over the century and a half I'd existed, I certainly had my share of women, but never before had one matched my passion and reckless abandon. She took everything I had to offer and more; neither of us held back and we met each other, thrust for thrust, felled tree for felled tree. I looked around the surrounding forest and couldn't suppress the chuckle rising in my chest at the destruction around us.

"Well darlin', for someone with no previous experience, you certainly kept me on my toes. I reckon over a year of pent up sexual frustration will do that to a gal, not that I'm complainin' mind you. Best experience of my life," I told her with a sly smirk, while pulling a stray branch out of her hair.

"Oh, shut up, asshat. It's not like the pixie could have been all that adventurous in the sack. Did she even let you touch her? Or was she more worried that you'd mess up her hair and makeup if things got too interesting? I'm gonna wager that I'm not the only one who had some pent up frustration to deal with and let out."

"I can't argue with that, Darlin'. So I just have to ask, where is this fiery, sarcastic personality comin' from? I happen to enjoy it tremendously, it's just a far cry from the girl who just last week was following around Mr. Prep King of the Century Edward Cullen."

At that, she rolled her eyes and propped herself up on one arm so she could look down at me. Casually brushing hair out of my eyes, she replied, "she's always been there Jasper, she was just repressed for the last year or so."

When I gave no further response than a raised eyebrow, she continued, "I've always been a sarcastic smartass. When I came here and met Mr. I-Have-a-Victorian-Stick-Up-My-Ass Cullen, he made me feel like I had to be proper all the time and act like a delicate, turn-of-the-century lady, so the natural retorts got smothered. Besides, I seem to remember a certain blond vampire wearing khakis, a polo and a sweater with loafers at about the same time," she challenged me.

"Touche, dear, touché. Ok, safe to say we've both been repressed by our former other halves, but I think we can agree that we are better off now with our new and improved selves. However, I guess we should probably have that conversation you were so keen on distractin' me from before all of the forestry destruction happened."

Bella flopped back on the ground and let out a groan of frustration. "What the fuck, Jasper? I thought you told me that if I wanted a man, I'd found one. Please tell me you aren't going to start pussy footing around and trying to talk me out of something I've already done, and thoroughly enjoyed, mind you. For the last year, I've had nothing except for Edward fucking Cullen and his half-sized side-kick questioning my every decision, right down to my breakfast choices and wardrobe options. I told you, I'm done with that, so if you're going to go into all of the reasons why we shouldn't do this, then you can just stop before you waste your breath!"

Now it was my turn to lean over her and look her straight in the eyes. "Woah, Darlin', that's not what I was going to say at all, and I resent you jumpin' to the conclusion that I was going to talk you out of anything, if that's even possible. I may have lived with the Cullens for the past 50 years, and Pansyward may have been my "brother," but I am nothing like him. I respect you enough to let you make your own decisions about who and what you want. However, you have the right to know who the fuck you're choosing and all of the baggage that comes with him."

"And you thought naked, on the forest floor was the best venue for this conversation?" she asked with a quirked brow.

"Well, I admit it may not be ideal, but it sure as shootin' beats goin' back to Peter naked with twigs in our hair before getting all of our cards on the table. He's going to be smug enough when we get back there, might as well make sure we both know where we stand before dealing with his 'just knowin' shit'. There's a lot about my past that you need to know, and even though Pete and Char know all of it, since they were there for it, I'd rather have this discussion without any eavesdroppers."

"Okay oh wise one, tell me of your sordid past so I can show you that I won't run screaming from you," she responded with a giggle.

With that, I proceeded to tell her about my beginnings to my immortal life. I explained how I'd been found by Maria and her sisters, trained to do nothing but fight and kill my own kind, even those I had created myself. I told her about the depths of depravity I reveled in for the better part of 70 years. As I told her about the vicious monster I had been for so long, followed by my escape with Peter and Char, finishing with how I met Alice, I was amazed that I didn't feel any revulsion from her. There was maybe a little bit of anger, but mostly I felt her emitting strong waves of compassion and pride. No one had ever reacted that way to my story, even the Pixie, who sought me out, felt fear and disgust every time she saw my scars or thought about my past. No one could even mention the Civil War without Alice cringing because it made her think about all of the horrid things I had done.

Yet here was Bella, wonderful and amazing Bella, so young on this Earth, and yet so wise beyond her years, taking in every word I said about some of the most horrific parts of immortal history, and she took it in stride. She wasn't disgusted by me, she wasn't afraid knowing where my numerous scars came from; she was proud of me and I could not fathom why.

"Darlin', I'm glad you're still here, but how can you be feeling like that right now? I just told you what a monster I am, and you're radiating pride, compassion and a tinge of lust. How is that possible?"

"Because Jasper, that's part of your past, but that doesn't define who you are anymore. Yes, you killed countless humans and vampires alike, but the second someone told you there was another way, you turned around and never looked back. You clearly feel remorse for your actions, and I feel for you carrying that burden, but you don't have to carry it alone anymore. I'm proud of you because you overcame all of that. After nearly 70 years of instant gratification, you not only became more discerning of your victims when you first left the wars, you changed even further and stopped hunting humans all together because you didn't want to feel the fear of even the criminals who sustained your life. I'm so proud of the man you've become and how strong you are today; you ran through a pool of my blood in Phoenix to kill James without faltering even a step. Lastly, I'm proud and feeling lust because my man is a badass motherfucker who has never lost a fight and is not to be messed with, and that is just sexy."

Hearing Bella describe me and how she sees me, I was overcome with emotion. There were no words to explain how I was feeling, so I did the only thing I could think of. I leaned down, gave her a soft kiss on the mouth, my tongue asking for entrance, which she immediately granted. I was drowning in her kisses, and made sweet love to her there on the forest floor.

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it's been such a long wait in between updates. Real life got crazy, I finished school, got a new full-time job (again) and met a guy and got married. I hope I'll be updating more regularly now, and hope this will be worth the wait in the end.


End file.
